Saturday, February 8, 2014

Binomen Art – Citrus

Left: Citrus Spelled Out with Juice Sacs (Vesicles); Right: Parts of Citrus – Cross SectionOur morning grapefruit (Citrus) is the subject of this Binomen Art post. Citrus are a type of hesperidium, a modified berry with a tough rind. Of late, part of my morning routine is to segment one half of a grapefruit. Segmenting is removing white partition between the carpels. Doing so removes the bitterness and you are just left with the sweet wedges composed of juice sacs, which are fluid filled hairs! According to Introductory Plant Biology (5th Edition): “Numerous outgrowths from the inner lining of the ovary wall become saclike and swollen with juice as the fruit develops.”